Students Plan Girls and Women in Sports Event

March 27, 2012

A sports business class at the University of Mount Union will sponsor an event to celebrate Girls and Women in Sports at 1:30 p.m. on April 1 in the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex on Mount Union’s campus.

The event is being held in conjunction with the annual initiative, National Girls and Women in Sports Day, planned by the National Association for Girls and Women in Sports. According to www.aahperd.org/nagws/, despite the advances made in the 40 years since Title IX was enacted, high school girls still receive 1.3 million fewer participation opportunities than boys, and evidence suggests that the money spent on girls’ sports programs lags significantly behind the money spent on boys’ programs. The theme for this year’s event is “Title IX at 40: In it for the Long Run.”

According to Dr. Lori Braa, assistant professor of sport business at Mount Union, this year’s Girls and Women in Sports event is being planned by students in the program management course as part of the class requirement. Students came up with goals and a mission for the event and will execute and implement plans for the event as well.

Any girl in grades K-12 is welcome to participate in the event. Participants will have the opportunity to meet and interact with Mount Union students, coaches and student athletes as they learn about physical fitness and engage in a number of activities. During the event, Mount Union coaches will speak and athletes will host activities and clinics related to volleyball, basketball and soccer.

Each participant will receive a snack and a goody bag. Those interested in attending can register online at www.mountunion.edu/gws. Online registration will end at 4 p.m. on March 30. Participants may register on site the day of the event beginning at 1 p.m. All attendees must fill out a liability waiver (available online) and bring it to the event.